In full: My first race, bitterly cold, thought I'd run a personal best but a mistake from the organisers on the course cut out 600 metres per lap - therefore, only ran 8.8K and not 10K. A bit disappointing but finished 54th overall, would do it again provided they map the course out properly next time.Date of review: February 13, 2013

In short: A mile shortIn full: A pro events company could have paid marshals to make sure they turned up & actually knew what they were doing.This was a mile short as apparently a marshal had no clue where to direct us, & other people were getting lost due to poor marshaling.Would have been ok otherwise.

In short: Disappointing end to what had been a decent runIn full: Obviously as has been pointed out, the run was shorter than had been expected by over 1k. I think what felt pretty poor was the fact that unless you had been amongst the first you weren't told this - instead I found out from spectators.

I think some of the advertised features didn't materialise, and the start point was horrible with faster runners who'd not realised where the start point was having to run past slower. When you got to where you should be in the pack though it started with a pleasant flat and then some decent incline & declines. Did feel a bit awkward in spots with barriers down at the uni, also running past people queuing for a bus on the final straight was odd as you did feel a bit crowded.Date of review: December 4, 2012

In full: I'll start with the positives…... A really enjoyable undulating route that had plenty to keep your interest. Great location for the start with loads of space and a good atmosphere. My first hint of poor organisation was that the public loos were still locked at 9am. No worries, hundreds of people myself included went to Wetherspoons to warm up and spend a penny. Headed to the start line with about 10 minutes to go but there were no public announcements. With there being 2 races, a 5k and a 10k I asked someone if I was in the right place and he said he was hoping we were all starting together. He was guessing too but that was good enough for me. Then a chap stood at the front and started speaking into the megaphone just as the clock bells started chiming, all a bit comedy as it drowned him out. I moved forward and caught his last sentence "We don't want any world records today so would all 10k runners make sure then only go over the finish line when they have done 2 laps!" Priceless, you couldn't make it up given the shortened course and everyone smashing their PBs. No attempt was made to encourage people to start in the appropriate place. I was close to the front and in the shadow of a runner with "Fat, Fifty, Forty fags a day and in front of you" written on his back. The photo of the start line on the official website shows someone who was overtaken by all but 42 of the field. The race itself was great, it thinned out pretty quickly with one very obvious exception was well marshalled. With uphills, dips and right angle turns it meant that positions swapped backwards and forwards rather than just being a procession. Crossed the line with the Garmin saying 5.49 miles (=8.83kms) but had realised long before that there was something very wrong. Jaffa cakes, mince pies and water were in plentiful supply. For me the distance error was annoying as I was ahead of my PB pace, but for those who had travelled from afar with the expense of a hotel it must have been gutting. I'll think of it as spending a tenner to get the benefit of pushing hard on a training run. The price was so cheap you can forgive a lot, but it didn't do what it said on the tin. I'll be back next year because they can't make the same monumental mistake again, can they?

In short: Potential..........but not sure for what!In full: Lovely crisp morning, and the new Bradford City Park is a refreshingly positive aspect to Bradford.Then the problems start.......the start area was really just a gathering point, not particularly clear and a lorra lorra runners just ambling about, couldn't hear any announcements.The start point choice itself was odd to say the least, as we then has to run round the frozen fountain area, and the assembled crowd, and across the dual carriageway to Thornton Road, why not just have the start there as much simpler, safer, and just better!!As we all now know a wrong turn meant we missed out about 0.75km, the 4km marker appeared just after my garmin beeped for 3km! As a two lap course it was back to the City Park, and out again. Surely they will have realised and fixed the course? Er, no. Same again, which I do find really poor as the 5k runners all finished in personal bests by this point.Icy morning and a slightly convoluted course, which no doubt helped add to the loss of the same 0.75km again.Nice to cross the line in a personal best 44min, but quickly knew it wasn't right. Feel really sorry for people who travelled and stayed over, plus huge trophies on offer for the proper athleticky sorts, they must be fuming as they will gear their whole run to it being 10k, not 8.5k.Potential for a decent december 10k here, mistakes do happen but on a two lap course amazed they didn't at least sort it out for the second lap.Plus point, some great lycra.Date of review: December 3, 2012

In short: 1.5km Short!!In full: This run has potential. However how many will give it a second chance after running 1.5km short i'm not short.No PA at the start meant we didn't even hear the gun/hooter.Where was the 'Sports Village' in City Park. Fortunately I only paid £8.50 and live pretty local otherwise I certainly wouldn't be happy.Also why can't the chips be posted with the numbers? Needs to up the anti if this is going to survive.Barriers up through the Uni would have been nice too, fortunatley not a massive issue with this amount of runners though.Date of review: December 3, 2012

In short: very poor marshalling and control by race directorIn full: i arrived early and walked the 5k course start to finish. all sign posted and clear apart from one junction where the sign was missing and i had to get my map out. mental note to self - this could cause probelms later - hope marshalls are at this point. good friendly staff at start to collect chip and numbers. nice pubs in the start area for toilets and warm place to changea bit concerned when i saw bag drop off area was a tent manned by one person for almost 1000 runners !run started in choas - the "pen" was non existant, the signs to indicate where runners should start based on exepected finish time were left on the floor. PA system not working so people at back had no idea what race director said about different finsih line for 5 and 10 k racers. ( see later!)First few hundred meters of run - up flight of steps, across a dual carriageway with awful marshalling directing runners over central reservation/kerbs. several runners stumbling/ having to stop . first 1km marker was at 1.2 km. then as i got to point where sign was missing earlier, the marshalls were directiing people straight on rather than turn right on the mapped course. (ahh - knew this would happen i thought.) Back into city centre at 5k point ( actually 4.2 on my gps) and chaos as people doing 5km had missed their finish line because of the PA problems at the start. second lap thinking " course problem will be sorted by now" - No, still missed out the extra bit. over the finish line - 9.1 k distance. loads of very excited runners thinking they had smashed their PBs. me ? gutted - round trip of 90 miles to do this one. i found race director and gave him my medal back - what is the point of a medal for a 10k race if it wasnt !and to add insult to injury - web site updated the same day saying what a great race it had been ! and the timings are now live on the site still showiing it was a 10 k race. last point - went to collect bag from drop off area - now totally unmanned - wlaked into tent picked up my bag and left - could have taken 5 or 6 if i had been that way inclined. OK - rant over - but as you can see i was appaled at organisation of this "big city" race. really disapointed as has great potential for a PB. how do i get a refundDate of review: December 3, 2012

In short: What a joke! Planned a weekend of my life around this race. In full: Were do i start? The race director tried lying his way out of trouble passing the buck to a marshall who he claimed sent us the wrong way (TWICE???) But the km markers were all over the place anyway withthe first at way past 1km & the last over a km from the end. The whoe thing a farce with people thinking they had smashed their pb's!Date of review: December 2, 2012

In short: Poor needs to be better next year or this could quickly die a deathIn full: How can you miss 1.2k of a 10k route? The route was availble to everyone except the race organisers it would seem!Surely the race director or a deputy would have tracked the course before the race started?Anyway disappointed, so not surprised people that had travelled from afar to complete a 10k were extremely disappointed.Date of review: December 2, 2012